Calisthenics essentially means body weight exercise; weight training with the weight of your body as the resistance, rather than the need for an external weight.
Calisthenics uses progressions and regressions, it uses mechanical advantages and it uses gravity to make exercises easier or harder…. and of course not forgetting resistance bands! This means that beginners can take up calisthenics easily with basics such as incline push-ups or bodyweight rows and the advanced athletes can progress as far as one arm pull-ups and human flags, there really is no limit! Calisthenics also has the benefit of requiring minimal equipment; all you need are gymnastics rings and the floor to get a full workout in. No excuses for missing a workout when you can do a full workout from your home or local park, very convenient and inexpensive!
What are callisthenics exercises?
Callisthentics are a type of exercise where little or no equipment is used. Instead, these exercises focus on using a person’s body weight as a form of resistance. Examples include squats, push ups, pull ups, burpees, and handstands.
Calisthenics requires much use of stabilisation and core muscles. This is because the core has to support the bodyweight in many positions, and whilst hanging, stabilisation muscles are needed to stop the body falling or swinging. As well as this calisthenics is loaded with compound exercises. Compound exercises are exercises that require the use of many different muscles to be used at once. These two requirements of calisthenics means that the body works hard and consequently more calories are burnt which leads to greater fat loss than other forms of resistance training, whilst still building muscle!
Calisthenics requires the building of skills and not just strength. Participants will improve their body awareness, neuromuscular connections and hand eye coordination, especially when upside down trying to learn the handstand. Because calisthenics is skill based, a real community feel surrounds it. Participants get really involved helping each other out with how to master certain skills and useful tips and tricks to help others grasp different moves.
Why is callisthenics good?
Callisthenics workouts bring multiple benefits. Not only do they build up and tone multiple muscles at once, they’re an effective form of cardio exercise. Callistenthics focus on engaging particular muscle areas that can help improve your overall strength too. These type of exercises are known as compound exercises.
How long should callisthenics workouts be?
Callisthenics workouts don’t need to be particularly long to be effective. A good rule of thumb is to do these exercises in a 30 minute period, around three-to-four times a week. However, if you’re short on time, a quick 15 minute workout is better than none!Does callisthenics build muscle?
Callisthentic exercises are great at building muscle. This is because you’re using your bodyweight as resistance against gravitational pull, and doing this over-and-over. This repetition is what helps build up your muscle.
Do you need to be strong to start callisthenics?
No, callisthenics exercises can be beginner friendly! However, some exercises are a little easier to do than others. Start off with basic squats and lunges, and take it from there. You can also build up how many repetitions you do of exercises over time.
